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Cadets suspended in defence scandal

Max Blenkin, AAP Defence Correspondent

Seven Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) cadets have been suspended and more could follow for "drunken stupidity" around a Canberra nightspot.

Revealing the latest scandal, Vice Chief of the Defence Force Air Marshal Mark Binskin said defence had made clear that unacceptable conduct would not be tolerated but there was still a minority who "just don't get it".

Similarly, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, whose reviews following the 2011 ADFA "Skype" sex scandal form the basis of defence's efforts to reform its culture, acknowledged more work was needed.

"While cultural progress has been made, there is clearly much more to do," she said.

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This latest episode comes a week after it was revealed a group of long-serving soldiers were under investigation for producing and distributing offensive material and imagery including filmed sex acts.

Air Marshal Binskin said the last episode involved male cadets and midshipmen (naval officer cadets) behaving "contrary to the values and standards expected of ADF members and our future leaders".

Seven have been suspended and others could follow.

"Enough is enough. People who exhibit unacceptable conduct need to understand their actions will have consequences and we will not tolerate what is alleged to have happened here," he said.

He provided scant details of the alleged misconduct.

However a defence source said male cadets mostly associated with the ADFA rugby team had engaged in "drunken stupidity" and "quasi-initiation" rituals in and around a Canberra nightspot.

"The point is there was no women, no sex and no violence," the source said.

Neither were police involved.

But it does not appear to have been a one-off event.

Air Marshal Binskin said it had been going on for "less than a year".

It came to light through the moral courage of a number of ADFA cadets who came forward to report it.

"So I actually think that is demonstrating a good culture which is developing in ADFA," he said.

After the 2011 ADFA "Skype scandal", when a male cadet filmed himself having sex with a female cadet and had the imagery streamed live to his mates in a nearby room, defence embarked on broad-ranging reforms.

Air Marshal Binskin said the ADF would not accept conduct that contradicts defence values.

"Individuals involved will be treated fairly but I and the rest of the Defence senior leadership will not apologise for the decisive actions we are taking in dealing with these matters."

Opposition defence personnel spokesman Stuart Robert said this raised some serious matters over the conduct of certain ADFA cadets and midshipmen.

"There is absolutely no place in the ADF for those personnel who continue to act in a manner contrary to the core values of the ADF and in the face of the reform already underway," he said in a statement.